Seeding Israel

For Jon Medved, cofounder of a leading venture capital fund, Israel is the center stage and he wants to be a player.

Jon Medved is the co-founder of Israel Seed Partners, a leading venture capital fund in Israel that has funded over 50 new companies, generating over a thousand jobs in the Israeli economy. Aish.com caught up with Jon recently and discussed his life, family and his connection to Judaism and Israel

Aish.com: What is your Jewish background? How were you raised?

Medved: I grew up in Los Angeles California in the 60's, which in general means secular and quite assimilated. Yet in our family we were "traditional" and were quite committed to making kiddush on Friday night and having a Shabbat meal. Later, I would go out and party with my buddies. We had a very strong family life.

My parent's both came from Orthodox homes and though we weren't raised religious, my father couldn't bring himself to set foot in the reform shul that was close to our house because it was so unlike what he knew. I was sent to Hebrew school, which I hated and resented. I looked at my bar mitzvah as finishing a jail sentence. I did learn to read Hebrew, however, which gave me a head start in becoming fluent later in life. My parents wanted me to get involved with Jewish groups but being Jewish was not on my agenda at all.

Aish.com: How has that changed? Who are you now?

Medved: Now I view myself as religious, a committed Jew. Yet, I still see myself on a path – a slow but steady path. I don't believe its normal for people to wake up one day and suddenly become completely religious. That's not for me. It takes time to change. It's been a very gradual, slow process.

I started reading my first Jewish books in college. I have had many people in my life including rabbis and teachers who have greatly influenced me. My brothers and father became religious and my wife's family also became religious. When we got married and moved to California, we moved close to my family so we wanted to keep a kosher home for them. We stopped driving on Shabbat and slowly Shabbat became part of our life.

We lived in Venice, California, which was a wonderful community. A very accepting community. That was a big part of it. No one made you feel weird because you were on a different level of observance. The turning point for me was when Rabbi Lapin, the Rabbi of our community one day told me he had a guest for me to take home to my Shabbat table – his Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi David Mishkovsky of Yeshivat Kenneset Hezekiah in Kfar Hassidim. That one act was a statement of acceptance of me, my family, our kashrut, and this effected me profoundly.

One should not view Judaism as an "all or nothing" deal.

Rabbi Lapin and I have had a important relationship that continues to this day. He explained that in order to become an observant Jew, you should not necessarily have to immediately view Judaism as an "all or nothing" deal. The idea that you have to right away buy into the whole package or buy none of it is what keeps many people away from returning to traditional observance.

He often compared this attitude towards Judaism to attitudes towards exercise. Everyone knows you should really exercise an hour a day. Does that mean that if you can't do all of that, right away then you shouldn't start exercising at all? Judaism is the same. You just start somewhere, and begin to grow and add on as you learn and grow. Support from the community, rabbi's and teachers is crucial.

Aish.com: Where does the Zionism and burning desire to help Israel come from?

Medved: My parents and my uncle were the major influences in that regard. When I was in college, my parents would only pay for a trip to Israel so that is where I went. Israel made an incredible impression on me and was a remarkable, life changing experience. I loved it here.

The other factor was my campus experience. I was an activist on campus and very involved in political campaigns and the left of center politics at Berkeley which was also a hotbed of anti-Israel activities. When the 1973 war broke out, Berkeley became a war zone. My Jewish friends and I got together and we organized the Jewish students on campus to help Israel.

Then the UN resolution equating Zionism with racism happened. I barely finished the semester because I was so involved in defending Israel and organizing Jewish kids on campus.

My best years were when I was working for AZYF, the American Zionist Youth Foundation. They offered me $600 a month, a broken down car and my job was to go to campuses throughout the West Coast and organize the few Jewish activists on campus and build a Jewish presence with literature, events, Shabbat dinners, etc. Even though I was myself learning about Judaism and Israel, it was a great feeling to be making an impact on these campuses that were in the middle of nowhere. I was privileged to watch campus Zionism become a movement throughout the country.

Aish.com: What are you most proud of in your life?

Medved: My family, my wife, and children. My kids are all great kids and are doing great things. My oldest son Momo volunteers each week for Mogen David Adom, the ambulance service in Israel. He also represented Israel in Germany on a debate team that just won the European championships. My second sone, Yossi, is a rock climber, plays sax, and gives great divrei Torah. My third son, Itamar, is an artist, a pianist and a fanatic about strategy games. My wonderful daughter Nina is into singing, dancing, reading and bringing joy to the world.

Aish.com: What role does your wife play in your success?

Medved: My wife, Jane, is responsible for everything that is good in my life. We have a great relationship and she is the glue that holds it all together. I get to be wild and moving at a million miles an hour, and she is always focused, rock solid, and the spiritual anchor for our household and the one that keeps it all going. She bears most of the credit for our children and is the conduit for whatever blessing has come into my life. She is my "aizer kenegdo," my help mate and I couldn't do any of this without her. Keeping up with her is a challenge, always exciting and very fulfilling.

Aish.com: How do you balance family and career?

Medved: Whenever my wife calls, no matter whom I am speaking with or meeting with, I'll try and drop everything to take her call (even though she may not think so). My kids know that they always can call also but they really don't abuse it.

I'm glad we have Shabbat. Without it I would have lost my mind long ago. I wish there were another day off in the week here in Israel. I really miss Sundays. Everyone is so busy with their own things all week long. School, after school activities, work. We do go away each year for family vacations. I think that is very important. Also, being self-employed allows me the flexibility to be there when my family needs me.

Aish.com: How many hours do you work a day?

Medved: About 12. It varies and it's flexible. I don't work completely crazy hours, like I used to, although I still enjoy the occasional all-nighter. I like to have fun also.

Aish.com: How did you get started in high tech?

Medved: My father is a physicist and developed fiber optics systems in California. I took him to a business meeting here in Israel and he there lured me into the "family business". I raised for him his first venture capital, and I ended up going back to California to work with my Dad for only "a year or two" in order to learn and develop the company. It actually took me six years (and three kids) before Jane and I could return to Israel after we sold the company to Amoco.

Aish.com: How did you start Israel Seed Partners?

Medved: I teamed up with my partner, Neil Cohen in 1994 and from my garage we would try to find high tech start-ups to develop from scratch.

We found some early investors and Israel Seed Partners was born in 1995. Michael Eisenberg joined us shortly thereafter. We initially raised $2 million dollars to invest. Today, we have $260 million dollars of which we have already invested about half that sum. High tech in Israel has been fantastic and has a promising future.

Aish.com: What are you doing now during this high tech slow down?

Jews in general, and Israelis in particular, have an unquenchable desire to create.

Medved: Strange though it may seem, even though investment worldwide has decreased, Israel's share of the market has increased. Last year (2002) there was $1.2 billion invested in Israeli venture backed startups. This was actually ten percent of the US total of $12 billion. The entrepreneurial drive and zeal in Jews, doesn't stop. Jewish people in general, and Israelis in particular, have an unquenchable desire to create.

There is still much room left for technology entrepreneurship. The next 20 years will be as good if not better, than the last 20 years, though we will not ever see a return to the golden days of the "bubble." I am sure Israel will play a major role in this ongoing technology revolution and I hope, to be part of it at Israel Seed We are just at the "end of the beginning" rather than the "beginning of the end" for high tech.

Aish.com: How many jobs has Israel Seed brought to Israel?

Medved: It's hard to say exactly. The companies we have helped to start have at one point employed a few thousand people. Unfortunately today they employing far less than they did two years ago. There are more than 50 companies that have been started with Israel Seed's help.

Aish.com: Is Israel Seed your last project?

Medved: I am still young, but I plan to be with Israel Seed for the long haul. My father who is now 75 made aliyah and started another successful company when he was 65. I'm only 47!

Aish.com: Anything you would have done differently?

Medved: Yes. I would have learned more. Many of my colleagues make appropriate time for learning daily. I would like to do more of that.

Aish.com: Are your children following in your footsteps?

Medved: It's hard to tell. They are all independent and involved in a myriad of things, good things and I'm really proud of all of them. They are proud Israelis and want to build the country which really makes me happy.

Aish.com: What makes you cry?

Medved: When I see that Israel is still fighting the same battle today that we were fighting 30 years ago, and 50 years ago, and 100 years ago. This is a battle for legitimacy. It's hard to deal with the fact that people still question Israel's right to exist and justify Arab terror. On campuses in America it is worse today than it was when I was an activist 30 years ago. I think that until recently the Jewish community has failed to really focus on how this battle can be won.

Aish HaTorah recently hosted a mission of 105 top students in Israel called the Hasbara Fellowships to teach students the truth about the situation, and the tools to fight back. Aish asked me to speak to them. I was really impressed with the quality of students and the program.

First we have to educate the Jewish people, especially our young people and then the rest of the world will find out what is really going on in Israel.

Aish.com: If you lived abroad today, what would you do for Israel?

Medved: I would come and visit regularly and I would send my kids here to study and travel. I would invest in Israel. I would be involved in writing letters to the editors, TV stations, etc., who have an anti-Israel bias. It's not enough to send a check anymore. You have to have a personal connection with Israel and renew it all the time.

The Jewish drama is being played out here in Israel. I want to be on stage, not watching from the audience.

If people are worried about safety, just take a look around the world. Nowhere is really safe anymore, yet you can't stay indoors and worry. You have to have some faith. It's a sad fact that most Jews have never even been to Israel. We have to end this Jewish boycott of travel to Israel. Birthright and other programs that are bringing lots of people here now are to be congratulated and encouraged.

Aish.com: Are you happy living in Israel?

Medved: The center of Jewish life is here. The Jewish drama is being played out here and I want to be on stage, not watching from the audience. Israel is our land; we have a good life and a lot of fun here. The Torah learning, the people, the schools, the sense of purpose, are all unequal to anywhere else. This clearly is where Jewish history is being written. I wouldn't change places with anyone, anywhere in the world.

People ask me if I'm afraid or worried. Sure I worry. I wouldn't be Jewish if I didn't. But ultimately you must put your faith in God. And I can tell you that I feel a lot better worrying here on the front lines than anywhere else.

The people I work with, my partners, the entrepreneurs, the soldiers, the old guys in my shul, the policemen, the housewives, the teachers, the soldiers – are all heroes. They all give me strength to keep going. There are more Jewish heroes in Israel now than ever before. There is no place else I would rather be. Life in Israel has turned out as a wonderful choice. Israel has been very good to me and my family, and I have much to be thankful for.

About the Author

Visitor Comments: 7

(7)
chiyya smason,
March 9, 2003 12:00 AM

Very Good Article.

I know Jon Medved personally, he is my uncle. All I can say is that when our family gets together for vacations and reunions and the such, I have never seen a more dedicated, fun to be with guy than Uncle Jon. he makes sure everybody else is having fun before he starts to have fun. Everything he said in his articles is true, and I think that it is a very serious problem which needs to be taken care of, the Palestinians are taking advantage of worldwide anti-semitism to turn the media against the Jews.(unfortunately it has already happened)The Americans who support Palestinian terrorism are not only undermining President Bush's war on terrorism, they are murdering tens of innocent Israelis.

(6)
Kira Sirote,
January 26, 2003 12:00 AM

Pride and Prejudice

Paul Bradford's comments below show that he has trouble distinguishing between being proud of your nation and destroying everyone who doesn't agree with you. Ah, well. That's the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil - people who cannot see truth and falsehood.

We tried to share; but the industrial parks were destroyed by the people whom they were created to serve, not by us.

When they will acknowledge that destruction will not achieve their goals, and that the Creator has returned us His land, we will try again. Just as we now speak to the Catholic religion that tried to destroy us.

-Kira

(5)
Deanna Johnson,
January 22, 2003 12:00 AM

I support Israel and all Israelis...not Palestinian murders.

My large family lives in and around Austin, Texas. While we are not Jewish because of (since my great grandmother inter-faith marriages) we all are pro-Israel, and do all we know how to let Israelis know that there are many Americans who do care, who do mourn for the horrible losses sustained by Israelis, and wish we could help. Of course, our prayers and sympathies are with you each day. We keep informed via the internet as it is the best source of information we have found. G_d be with you all. You are His chosen people! We do all we can to try and help people understand what is really going on in Israel. The Johnson family, Austin, Texas, USA

(4)
Paul Bradford,
January 22, 2003 12:00 AM

How Sad

Dear Editors:
How very sad that Jon sees Israel, the relgion, country, the people, and
especially Zionists, as more creative than others not lucky enough to be
born and educated in Judaism. His is a narrow and one-sided view.
How very sad that this young man's bright upbringing does not allow him to
share the same freedom, the same ideas, the same attitudes with the
Palestinian people, there on the same land the Israeli's now have, land the
Palestinians have lived in for more than a thousand years.
The Catholic religion used to teach the same kind of logic to their own:
Salvation only through the Catholic religion. Now we read and hear much more
about Israel, and the US's unilateral viewpoints, and unwillingness to
really hear what others have to say in Europe and the Arab countries.
This makes us very sad. Cilivization is supposed to go forward, not behind.
There will be no peace until different cultures give a strong impetus
towards real understanding, and especially, Empathy.

Sincerely,
The Media Monitors

(3)
shoshanna laneliebman,
January 21, 2003 12:00 AM

well done...........

day 99 and counting keep writing you flow so well ... bless you for your help at a critical time. love shoshanna

(2)
stan garnett,
January 21, 2003 12:00 AM

Excellent Article

I will pass this article on to my Rabbi and to my jewish and gentile friends.

(1)
Miles D. Herman, Esq.,
January 19, 2003 12:00 AM

I want to live in Israel!

Mr. Medved is doing commendable work. Work made more successful no doubt due to his love for the ultimate cause: Israel. I sincerely desire to spend many productive years on the "stage" that is Israel, as Jon so aptly phrased his vision. I no longer wish to be in the proverbial audience. Mr. Medved, you are an inspiration. Thank you.

I live in rural Montana where the Cholov Yisrael milk is difficult to obtain and very expensive. So I drink regular milk. What is your view on this?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Jewish law requires that there be rabbinic supervision during the milking process to ensure that the milk comes from a kosher animal. In the United States, many people rely on the Department of Agriculture's regulations and controls as sufficiently stringent to fulfill the rabbinic requirement for supervision.

Most of the major Kashrut organizations in the United States rely on this as well. You will therefore find many kosher products in America certified with a 'D' next to the kosher symbol. Such products – unless otherwise specified on the label – are not Cholov Yisrael and are assumed kosher based on the DOA's guarantee.

There are many, however, do not rely on this, and will eat only dairy products that are designated as Cholov Yisrael (literally, "Jewish milk"). This is particularly true in large Jewish communities, where Cholov Yisrael is widely available.

Rabbi Moshe Feinstein wrote that under limited conditions, such as an institution which consumes a lot of milk and Cholov Yisrael is generally unavailable or especially expensive, American milk is acceptable, as the government supervision is adequate to prevent non-kosher ingredients from being added.

It should be added that the above only applies to milk itself, which is marketed as pure cow's milk. All other dairy products, such as cheeses and butter, may contain non-kosher ingredients and always require kosher certification. In addition, Rabbi Feinstein's ruling applies only in the United States, where government regulations are considered reliable. In other parts of the world, including Europe, Cholov Yisrael is a requirement.

There are additional esoteric reasons for being stringent regarding Cholov Yisrael, and because of this it is generally advisable to consume only Cholov Yisroel dairy foods.

In 1889, 800 Jews arrived in Buenos Aires, marking the birth of the modern Jewish community in Argentina. These immigrants were fleeing poverty and pogroms in Russia, and moved to Argentina because of its open door policy of immigration. By 1920, more than 150,000 Jews were living in Argentina. Juan Peron's rise to power in 1946 was an ominous sign, as he was a Nazi sympathizer with fascist leanings. Peron halted Jewish immigration to Argentina, introduced mandatory Catholic religious instruction in public schools, and allowed Argentina to become a haven for fleeing Nazis. (In 1960, Israeli agents abducted Adolf Eichmann from a Buenos Aires suburb.) Today, Argentina has the largest Jewish community in Latin America with 250,000, though terror attacks have prompted many young people to emigrate. In 1992, the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires was bombed, killing 32 people. In 1994, the Jewish community headquarters in Buenos Aires was bombed, killing 85 people. The perpetrators have never been apprehended.

Be aware of what situations and behaviors give you pleasure. When you feel excessively sad and cannot change your attitude, make a conscious effort to take some action that might alleviate your sadness.

If you anticipate feeling sad, prepare a list of things that might make you feel better. It could be talking to a specific enthusiastic individual, running, taking a walk in a quiet area, looking at pictures of family, listening to music, or reading inspiring words.

While our attitude is a major factor in sadness, lack of positive external situations and events play an important role in how we feel.

[If a criminal has been executed by hanging] his body may not remain suspended overnight ... because it is an insult to God (Deuteronomy 21:23).

Rashi explains that since man was created in the image of God, anything that disparages man is disparaging God as well.

Chilul Hashem, bringing disgrace to the Divine Name, is one of the greatest sins in the Torah. The opposite of chilul Hashem is kiddush Hashem, sanctifying the Divine Name. While this topic has several dimensions to it, there is a living kiddush Hashem which occurs when a Jew behaves in a manner that merits the respect and admiration of other people, who thereby respect the Torah of Israel.

What is chilul Hashem? One Talmudic author stated, "It is when I buy meat from the butcher and delay paying him" (Yoma 86a). To cause someone to say that a Torah scholar is anything less than scrupulous in meeting his obligations is to cause people to lose respect for the Torah.

Suppose someone offers us a business deal of questionable legality. Is the personal gain worth the possible dishonor that we bring not only upon ourselves, but on our nation? If our personal reputation is ours to handle in whatever way we please, shouldn't we handle the reputation of our nation and the God we represent with maximum care?

Jews have given so much, even their lives, for kiddush Hashem. Can we not forego a few dollars to avoid chilul Hashem?

Today I shall...

be scrupulous in all my transactions and relationships to avoid the possibility of bringing dishonor to my God and people.

With stories and insights,
Rabbi Twerski's new book Twerski on Machzor makes Rosh Hashanah prayers more meaningful. Click here to order...